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In Defence of Trotskyism No. 10 £1 Waged, 50P Unwaged/Low Waged, €1.50 In Defence of Trotskyism No. 10 £1 waged, 50p unwaged/low waged, €1.50 The general historic role of the Stalinist bureaucracy and their Comintern is counter-revolutionary. But through their military and other interests they can be forced to support progressive movements. Even Ludendorff felt himself forced to give Lenin a train – a very progressive action – and Lenin accepted. We must keep our eyes open to discern the progressive acts of the Stalinists, support them independently, foresee in time the danger, the betrayals, warn the masses and gain their confidence. Trotsky, Writings, Letter on India, 1939/40, pp 108-9. Where We Stand society. The working class must we will oppose all policies which overthrow the capitalist state and subordinate the working class to 1. WE STAND WITH KARL replace it with a workers’ state the political agenda of the petty- MARX: ‘The emancipation of the based on democratic soviets/ bourgeois reformist leaders of the working classes must be con- workers’ councils to suppress the Labour party and trade unions quered by the working classes inevitable counter-revolution of 5. We oppose all immigration themselves. The struggle for the private capitalist profit against controls. International finance emancipation of the working class planned production for the satis- capital roams the planet in search means not a struggle for class faction of socialised human need. of profit and imperialist govern- privileges and monopolies but for 3. We recognise the necessity ments disrupts the lives of workers equal rights and duties and the for revolutionaries to carry out and cause the collapse of whole abolition of all class rule’ (The serious ideological and political nations with their direct interven- International Workingmen’s Asso- struggle as direct participants in tion in the Balkans, Iraq and Af- ciation 1864, General Rules). the trade unions (always) and in ghanistan and their proxy wars in 2. The capitalist state consists, the mass reformist social demo- Somalia and the Democratic Re- in the last analysis, of ruling-class cratic bourgeois workers’ parties public of the Congo, etc. Workers laws within a judicial system and despite their pro-capitalist leader- have the right to sell their labour detention centres overseen by the ships when conditions are favoura- internationally wherever they get armed bodies of police/army who ble. Because we see the trade the best price. Only union mem- are under the direction and are union bureaucracy and their allies bership and pay rates can counter controlled in acts of defence of in the Labour party leadership as employers who seek to exploit capitalist property rights against the most fundamental obstacle to immigrant workers as cheap labour the interests of the majority of civil the struggle for power of the to undermine the gains of past working class, outside of the state struggles. forces and their direct agencies Socialist Fight produces IDOT. It themselves, we must fight and Subscribe to Socialist Fight and In is a part of the Liaison Committee defeat and replace them with a Defence of Trotskyism for the Fourth International with revolutionary leadership by mobi- Four Issues: UK: £12.00, EU: the Liga Comunista, Brazil and the lising the base against the pro- £14.00 Tendencia Militante Bolchevique, capitalist bureaucratic misleaders Rest of the World: £18.00 Argentina. to open the way forward for the Please send donations to help in Editor: Gerry Downing struggle for workers’ power. their production Assistant Editor: John Barry 4. We are fully in support of all Cheques and Standing Orders to Socialist Fight: PO Box 59188, Lon- mass mobilisations against the Socialist Fight Account No. 1 don, NW2 9LJ, http:// onslaught of this reactionary Con- Unity Trust Bank, Sort Code socialistfight.com/ Lib Dem coalition. However, 08-60-01, Account. No. 20227368. [email protected]. whilst participating in this struggle From facing page Lies and Confusion Communist Party. This is the best way to expose the That is all the ‘Communist’ Party false political position of these people. Like Hitler has to offer the British workers, When Stalin has a pact their policy is the bigger the lie the more people will with Hitler they SUPPORT HITLER and oppose believe it, but once brought face to face with the Churchill. truth they have no answer. When Stalin has a pact with Churchill they SUPPORT £10 Reward: To any Member of the Communist CHURCHILL and oppose Hitler. Party who can prove that the so-called Quotations Their policy is completely dependent upon the pacts from Trotskyist Publications in their Pamphlet that Stalin signs and not upon the needs of the Brit- “Clear Out Hitler’s Agents!” are not Forgeries. ish or International Working Class. - OR - The “Socialist Appeal” continues LENIN’s policy and To any Member of the CP who can show any page of OPPOSES BOTH CHURCHILL and HITLER. It fights this Pamphlet which does not contain a minimum of for working class power as the only real answer to Fas- five lies. cism. SOCIALIST APPEAL. Fellow Workers — Do not be Deceived by the lies Read SOCIALIST APPEAL and slanders of the Communist Party. Urge a debate The Militant Workers’ Paper. 2d. in your Trade Union branch between a representa- Published by Workers International League, 61, North- tive of the “Socialist Appeal” and the “Daily Work- down Street, N.1. er”; between Workers’ International League and the Printed by C. A. Brock & Co., Ltd. (T.U), 79 Southern Row, Kensal Road, W.10 Page 2 Revolutionary Communism: Lenin, Trotsky, Stalin or Mao? Following the invasion of the USSR on 22 June 1941 prevent itself being involved in an imperialist war.” — and the ignominious end of the Hitler-Stalin pact the Moscow paper “Trud,” 21st Jan. 1941. CPGB became the most loyal of British patriots, “Above all the conclusion must be drawn that Germany’s launching a vicious witch hunt against the Trotskyists actions in the present instance were forced on it .... Britain of the Workers International League, and assisting the and France wanted to undermine Germany’s military posi- jailing of their members in Britain as the CPUSA did in tions and fundamentally to improve their own positions. the USA. Here the WIL replies to the Daily Worker Germany was not desirous of falling into a worse position pamphlet, “Clear Out Hitler's Agents” in 1942. and was compelled to adopt counter measures. “Daily Worker;” 12th April, 1940. Factory Workers, BE ON YOUR GUARD, Clear Out the Bosses’ Agents!! Fact No. 2 THE COMMUNIST PARTY UNDER the guise of a struggle against “Trotskyism” the WANTED PEACE WITH HITLER leadership of the so-called “Communist” Party have in- ON October 4th, 1939, Hitler was offering peace. structed their members in the factories to launch a cam- “We are against the continuance of this war. We demand paign of lies and slander against leading shop stewards and that negotiations be immediately opened for the establish- prominent trade unionists. ment of peace in Europe. — “Communist Party Special THE object of this campaign is twofold: Statement,” “Daily Worker,” October 4th, 1939. 1. It seeks to undermine the strong rank and file trade union Fact No. 3 THE COMMUNIST PARTY movement which has been built up in the factories during the last few years. POLICY HELPED HITLER INVADE 2. It is the “all clear” signal to reactionary employers to THE SOVIET UNION BY CONFUSING victimise and frame-up active trade unionists. BRITISH WORKERS You must know the Truth WHEN Hitler massed his Panzer divisions on the Eastern “COMMUNIST” Party Policy today fully supports the Front, this is what the “Communist” Party told the British handful of profiteers who run this war in their own inter- worker THE DAY BEFORE HE MARCHED: ests. Those who carry out THAT policy in the factories are “Even before the arrival of Sir Stafford Cripps, the British doing the bosses’ dirty work. They are BOSSES’ MEN who Ambassador in USSR and particularly after his arrival, Brit- must be exposed and cleared out. ish and in general the foreign press, began an intense dis- WHEN our brothers in the mining industry were on strike semination of rumours on the ‘Proximity of war between for better conditions against the tight-fisted tyranny of the USSR and Germany’ . Despite the obvious nonsensical coal- owners it — was the “Communist” Party which urged character of these rumours, responsible Moscow quarters its members to blackleg and scab. have still found it necessary, in view of these rumours, to THE “Communist” Party alleges that supporters of authorise ‘Tass’ to state that these rumours constitute clum- the “Socialist Appeal” are agents of Hitler. THIS IS A sily concocted propaganda by forces hostile to USSR and to LIE. We defy any member of the Communist Party to Germany and interested in the further extension and un- defend this lying statement in open debate. The leashing of war.” “Worlds News & Views.” June 21st, 1941. “Socialist Appeal” stands for the complete destruction Fact No. 4 BEFORE JUNE 22nd, 1941, of Fascism whether it be of the Nazi, Mosley or any THE COMMUNIST PARTY CARRIED other variety. It advocates as the first step towards a genuine struggle against Hitlerism the expropriation OUT HITLER’s DIRTY WORK IN BRIT- of the millionaire armament kings and the nationalisa- AIN — TODAY THEY DO CHURCH- tion of the war industries under WORKERS’ CON- ILL’s DIRTY WORK TROL. THEY tell you that Churchill is a great statesman but this is Here are the Real Facts: what they said on October 11th, 1940: Fact No 1 COMMUNIST PARTY POLICY “Churchill is chiefly known to the workers as the breaker of the General Strike, the Home Secretary who sent troops HELPED HITLER CONQUER EUROPE against striking miners and railwaymen, and the fomentation WHEN Hitler rode roughshod over the Continent, the of intervention against the struggling Soviet Republic.
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